Holder for smoking articles

ABSTRACT

A holder for temporarily holding smoking articles is made up of a grasping assembly and an attachment assembly. The grasping assembly, formed of two spaced-apart arms, functions to temporarily grasp the smoking article. The attachment assembly, formed from a Velcro strap, functions to attach the holder to golf cart or golf bag in a variety of selected orientations.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The present invention relates to a holder for temporarily holdingsmoking articles, such as cigars, cigarettes, and pipes.

[0002] Individuals who use any one of a variety of smoking articles findthat they must always hold the smoking article in one hand and, hence,only have one hand free for their activities. If two hands are requiredfor an activity, they must place the smoking article in an ashtray or onthe ground or in some other inconvenient location. Probably the onlyremaining option is to ask someone else to hold the smoking article, forinstance a cigar.

[0003] One of the problems smokers encounter is that they often need toput down the smoking article only temporarily. Such situations are, forexample, while fishing, boating or playing golf. A golfer may enjoy acigar while playing golf but may also need to temporarily put the cigardown while teeing off, driving or putting. Placing the cigar on theground is not desirable because of the chemicals used on the golf coursegrass and because it may result in the golfer forgetting to pick up thecigar after completing the shot. Use of an ashtray is not convenient ona golf course. Ashtrays are cumbersome and tend to be unstable devices.Moreover, it is difficult to attach an ashtray to a golf cart or to agolf bag in any usable manner. As such, it would be preferable toprovide some form of cigar holder that could be attached to a golf cartor a golf bag for convenient use by a golfer.

[0004] Other examples can be readily found in which a smoking articleholding device would be beneficial. For example, it might be beneficialto provide such a holding device in a vehicle or in a home totemporarily hold a cigar in a selected orientation. Additionally, wouldbe beneficial to provide a holder for temporarily holding smokingarticles that can be oriented h a variety of positions to facilitate aselected orientation by the smoker. For example, in using such a devicewith a golf cart, it would be desirable to maintain a selectedorientation of the cigar either to maintain the combustion of the cigaror to minimize the combustion of the cigar material or that wouldposition the cigar in such a way that the ashes would not fall in someinconvenient location. Similarly, the same examples might apply withregard to pipes or cigarettes.

[0005] The prior art has generally addressed the problem of temporarilyholding smoking articles and has proposed numerous solutions thereto.The prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,706,832; 5,868,143; 5,900,735and 6,050,228. U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,228 includes an extensive discussionof additional prior art. For the most part, the prior art describeholders for smoking articles that are attached to golf carts or the likeusing pins, springs or mechanical clamps that limit the surfaces towhich the holder may be attached.

[0006] As such, it would be desirable to provide a holder fortemporarily holding smoking articles that can be attached to a widevariety of surfaces in a wide variety of selected orientations.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a holder fortemporarily holding smoking articles that can be attached to a varietyof surfaces and attached in a variety of orientations to hold thesmoking articles in the desired attitude.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to a holder fortemporarily holding smoking articles which can accommodate smokingarticles of differing sizes, such us cigars, pipe, and cigarettes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention is directed to a holder for temporarilyholding smoking articles in which the holder is made up of a graspingassembly and an attachment assembly.

[0010] The grasping assembly functions to temporarily grasp the smokingarticle. The grasping assembly includes two spaced-apart arms havingopposed faces, wherein at least one of the arms has at least a portionof the face that is spring biased toward the face of the other arm. Thespring biased opposing faces are adapted to temporarily grasp thesmoking article there between. Optionally, one or both of the arms mayhave concave face portions to enhance the ability of the arms to engagesmoking articles of differing sizes.

[0011] The attachment assembly functions to attach the holder to avariety of surfaces in a variety of selected orientations. Theattachment assembly is based on a flexible strap having one endpermanently secured to the holder. The loose end of the flexible strapis fitted with a securing means, such as Velcro, to releasable securethe loose end of said strap to the grasping assembly. The flexible strapis used to encircle a portion of a golf cart or golf bag, and the looseend of the flexible strap is secured to the grasping assembly using thesecuring means such as Velcro. When the flexible strap is secured to thegrasping assembly, the holder is removably secured to the golf cart orgolf bag in a selected orientation. The inner surface of the flexiblestrap may be lined with a friction enhancing material, such a foamrubber, to help maintain the holder in the selected orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The organization and manner of the structure and function of theinvention, together with the objects and advantages thereof, may beunderstood by reference to the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein the like referencenumerals identity like elements, and in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the novel holder for temporarilyholding smoking articles of the present invention with the holderassembly oriented above the attachment assembly;

[0014]FIG. 2 is an end view novel holder for temporarily holding smokingarticles of the present invention showing the holder assembly orientedbelow the attachment assembly, with a cigar (shown in phantom) graspedby the holder assembly; and

[0015]FIG. 3 is a side view of novel holder for temporarily holdingsmoking articles of the present invention showing the holder assemblyoriented below the attachment assembly, also with a cigar (shown inphantom) grasped by the holder assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The holder for temporarily holding smoking articles, such ascigars, cigarettes, and pipes of the present invention comprises agrasping assembly 10 and an attachment assembly 30.

[0017] Grasping assembly 10 functions to temporarily grasp the smokingarticle. In the preferred embodiment grasping assembly 10 comprises aflat base 12 and two spaced-apart arms 14 and 18 extending at rightangles from said base 12. Preferably the grasping portion 10 isfabricated from stainless steel or some other non-inflammable material.Arms 14 and 18 have opposed faces 16 and 20. At least one of said armshas at least a portion of its face that is spring biased toward saidface of said other arm, wherein said spring biased opposing faces areadapted to temporarily grasp the smoking article there between.

[0018] In the preferred embodiment, a leaf spring 22 includes a flatportion 25 that is affixed to arm 18 by rivet 28. Spring 22 includes abiased portion 26 that is biased toward arm 14 and is adapted to hold acigar there between, as shown in phantom as C in FIG. 2. Preferably arm18, on which spring 22 is mounted, is longer that arm 14 so that arm 14is out of the way when the cigar is placed in the holder or is removedfrom the holder. Optionally, biased portion 26 of spring 22 or opposingarm 14 or both may have concave face portions to enhance the ability ofthe holder to engage smoking articles of differing sizes.

[0019] Attachment assembly 30 functions to attach the holder to aportion of a golf cart or golf bag (not shown) in a variety of selectedorientations. The attachment assembly is based on a flexible strap 32having one end 34 permanently secured to the holder. The loose end 38 offlexible strap 32 has a securing means 40 mounted on the inner surface.Securing means 40 is adapted to releasably connect loose end 38 offlexible strap 32 to grasping assembly 10. In the preferred embodiment,secured end 34 of strap 32 is attached to base 12 with rivet 36, asshown in FIG. 2. Base 12 provides a flat surface that enhances thestability of the holder when the holder is mounted on a flat portion ofthe golf cart or golf bag.

[0020] Flexible strap 32 is used to encircle a portion of a golf cart orgolf bag (not shown), and the loose end 38 of the flexible strap 32 maybe secured to the holder 10 in a non-permanent (releasable) fashion,with the removable securing means 40 such as Velcro. In the preferredembodiment securing means 40 on loose end 38 of flexible strap 32 is aVelcro fastener. A mating Velcro fastener 42 is permanently attached tothe outside of leg 18 of the clamping assembly 10.

[0021] When the flexible strap to encircles a portion of a golf cart orgolf bag and loose end 38 is secured to the grasping assembly, theholder is affixed to the golf cart or golf bag in a selectedorientation. The inner surface of the flexible strap 32 may be linedwith a friction enhancing material, such a foam rubber, to help grip theencircled portion of the golf cart or golf bag and help maintain theholder in the selected orientation.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment, a keeper 50 is mounted on graspingassembly 10. Keeper 50 may be attached to grasping assembly 10 via aloop 54 in strap 32. Opening 52 in keeper 50 is large enough to allowloose end 38 of flexible strap 32 to pass through before being securedto grasping assembly 10. Keeper 50 thus functions to keep loose end 38of strap 32 close to and aligned with mating Velcro fastener 42 and thusenhances to of 40 securing means to mating Velcro fastener 42.

[0023] In the preferred embodiment, base 12 is flat because the flatbase provides a more stable connection to a flat surface on a golf cartor golf bag. When the holder is attached to a curved or tubular surface,a stable connection is provided by loop 54 and keeper 50 cooperate withbase 12 to provide a stable attachment.

[0024] The scope of the invention herein shown and described is to beconsidered only as illustrative. It will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that numerous modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A holder for temporarily holding smokingarticles, said holder comprising a grasping assembly and an attachmentassembly; said grasping assembly comprising a base and two spaced-apartarms connected to said base, said two spaced-apart arms having opposedfaces, wherein at least one of said arms has at least a portion of itsface that is spring biased toward said face of said other arm whereinsaid spring biased opposing faces are adapted to temporarily grasp thesmoking article there between; said attachment assembly comprising aflexible strap having one end permanently secured to said graspingassembly, the loose end of said flexible strap having securing means toremovably secure said loose end to said grasping assembly, whereby saidflexible strap is adapted to encircle a portion of a golf cart or golfbag, and when said loose end is secured to said grasping assembly affixthe holder in a selected attitude to the golf cart or golf bag.
 2. Theholder as described in claim 1, wherein said securing means comprisesVelcro.
 3. The holder as described in claim 1, wherein a mating Velcrofastener is mounted on one of said arms.
 4. The holder as described inclaim 3, wherein a keeper retains said flexible strap in alignment withsaid mating Velcro means.
 5. The holder as described in claim 1, whereinsaid base is flat.
 6. The holder as described in claim 1, wherein saidgrasping means includes a spring attached on one arm, said spring beingbiased toward said other arm.
 7. The holder as described in claim 1,wherein said one or both of the arms have concave face portions toenhance the ability of the arms to engage smoking articles of differingsizes.